


anywhere else is hollow

by saltandsunshine



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Beginnings, M/M, Minor Character Death, No Romance, Strangers, Vampire Kim Jongin | Kai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:02:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28748925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltandsunshine/pseuds/saltandsunshine
Summary: Unless he needed to drink blood, Jongin distanced himself from humans. He'd had no problem doing so for centuries so what was it about this one that was making it hard for him to stay away?
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36
Collections: monthlysekai's Re: KAI





	anywhere else is hollow

**Author's Note:**

> monthlysekai's Chalenge #3 — Re: KAI with Hello Stranger and FILM: KAI

  
Jongin used to be an ordinary human living an ordinary life. His dreams were simple—to live doing what he loved and to spend his days happy and content. But one night changed everything.  
  
He would never forget waking up in that dark alley, dazed and confused but somehow filled with a strength he had never felt before. It baffled him considering the last thing he remembered was being attacked and feeling a blinding pain on his neck.  
  
The confusion soon turned to panic when a sudden, intense hunger assailed him and fangs started protruding from his mouth. His senses became heightened and for some reason, he could feel that there were people close by. He could smell them, hear them, and even tell exactly how many there were.  
  
It didn’t take long for him to put two and two together. He had always heard stories about vampires—of creatures waiting in the dark for unsuspecting humans to prey on and of lifeless bodies drained of blood being found the next morning—but never thought of them as anything more than folk tales. Although he was initially in denial, he had no choice but to accept it for nothing else seemed to explain what was happening to him.  
  
The first few days after he was turned was particularly hard. Not wanting to hurt humans, Jongin isolated himself and tried to resist the urge to feed. But by refusing to drink blood, he went out of his mind with hunger and ended up devouring the first human who crossed his path, accidentally killing the poor soul. When he came to, he was holding onto his victim’s mangled corpse.  
  
Before Jongin could even process the gravity and horror of what he’d done, a couple of maidens walked in on the gruesome scene. Their blood-curdling screams alerted the people nearby and before long, an enraged mob brandishing various weapons were out to kill Jongin.  
  
Hunted by the people who used to be his friends and neighbors, Jongin was forced to flee from his hometown. He found refuge in an abandoned cabin deep in the woods. None of the villagers ever ventured there for fear of monsters lurking in the shadows; but well, _he_ was the monster now, wasn’t he? There was no need for him to be terrified.  
  
Jongin spent several years in solitude, mastering his new abilities and getting used to living as a vampire. He had to learn everything by himself—what to do and what not to do (feeding before he reached his limit in particular), how to manage his strength and speed, and how to hypnotize humans so he could drink from them. As much as he disliked it, he couldn’t forego drinking human blood. He tried subsisting on just animal blood but it didn’t quench his thirst entirely.  
  
After a few decades in seclusion, Jongin started longing for companionship again. Having deemed himself in control of his vampiric urges and supernatural abilities, he decided to move from the forest he had been residing in to a town several miles away.  
  
The people were wary of him at first but they eventually welcomed him. With his charming and friendly personality, it was easy for Jongin to win them over.  
  
For a while, everything was perfect. Jongin finally had his old life back. He had a fulfilling job as the baker’s apprentice, friends he could talk to and share meals with, and a place he could call home. All he had to do was keep who—or what—he really was a secret so he could continue living the way he did. Unfortunately, no matter how careful he was, there was one thing he could not hide—his immortality.  
  
After living in the same town for close to fifteen years, Jongin’s neighbors started noticing how he wasn’t aging. He tried to make a joke out of it at first (something about being blessed with a youthful look) but he knew it wouldn’t be long before they became suspicious. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t stay; not unless he wanted to be found out and chased away by the people he considered his friends once again. And so Jongin left.  
  
From then on, he made sure never to settle in one place for too long. He tried to stay positive about his situation at first but having to start over time and again was difficult and exhausting. He also found it harder and harder to form relationships knowing he would have to leave at some point. In the end, Jongin became reclusive.  
  
It wasn’t until he met a lovely lady—Bom, as she was called—did Jongin start opening up once again.  
  
Bom was a bubbly girl, full of spunk and zest for life. She was quite persistent in befriending Jongin even when he blatantly ignored her. Eventually, she was able to tear his walls down.  
  
It wasn’t long before their friendship turned into romance. They both fell in love hard and fast and Jongin found himself wanting to settle down with her. But before anything of the sort could happen, he knew he had to tell her the truth.  
  
On the last night of the spring festival, Jongin took her to the place where they first met and revealed everything. His plan was to propose after confessing but the look of horror on Bom’s face stopped Jongin before he could.  
  
When Bom started inching away from him, Jongin reached his hand out on instinct, frightening her further. The fear in her eyes caused him to pull his hand away and step back to give her some space. In a gentle voice, he assured her that he had never hurt anyone wittingly—that he never would—and implored her to trust him. He then told Bom that he loved her and that he knew she felt the same so he didn’t want to hide anything from her any longer.  
  
Bom’s response would forever haunt him.  
  
_No, I don’t. How could I ever love a monster like you?_  
  
It was then that Jongin realized that no matter what he did—no matter how kindly he treated someone or showed them love—he would always be seen as a monster.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
After being scorned by Bom, Jongin closed himself off completely. He couldn’t change the fact that he was a vampire and people would always treat him with hatred and hostility once they found out he was one. It was better to be alone.  
  
Jongin returned to the life he had before he met Bom—dull and monotonous. He moved from place to place, country to country, always making sure to keep his distance from humans and leaving once a decade was up. It was only recently that he decided to go back to his homeland. It had been several hundred years, after all.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin wrapped his coat tighter around himself. People might think vampires had no problem with the cold but that, like many others, was a misconception. Exposure to sunlight did not kill them (it only gave them severe sunburn) and their supposed aversion to garlic was also not true. Vampires were actually much like humans except for a few things—they were immortal, had _extraordinary_ abilities, and craved blood.  
  
But right now, Jongin was craving for some seafood _kalguksu_ and pan-fried _mandu_.  
  
He quickly made his way towards the small restaurant he discovered a few weeks ago, nodding politely at the owner as he entered.  
  
Vampires technically only needed blood to survive but some of them, Jongin included, still ate human food from time to time; mostly for nostalgia’s sake.  
  
He took a seat at one of the tables in the back and waited patiently for the owner to finish taking the order of the only other customer in the restaurant.  
  
“Seafood _kalguksu_ and a plate of pan-fried _mandu_ please,” the other customer, a man who looked about the same age as Jongin (or his age before he was turned), said.  
  
Jongin’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. What were the odds of them wanting to have the exact same thing?  
  
When their orders came out, Jongin immediately dug into the _kalguksu_ but the stranger only stared at his. After a few minutes, he stood up to hand his payment to the owner and left without even touching his meal.  
  
Jongin thought it was odd but he didn’t pay much thought to it and just continued eating.  
  
Upon leaving, he passed by the table where the stranger sat and something on it caught his eye. Next to the still full bowl of noodles was a polaroid photo of the stranger with another man. Their cheeks were pressed together and they had such huge smiles on their faces.  
  
The photograph seemed pretty important but from how the stranger acted, Jongin doubted he left it by mistake. But whatever. That wasn’t any of his business nor did he care.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Jongin didn’t believe in fate but if it were real, then some divine or supernatural force was definitely having fun messing with him.  
  
He wasn’t the type to go out often, preferring to stay indoors and avoid interacting with humans as much as possible. But every time he went out, he happened to see the stranger from the restaurant.  
  
He was there at the library when Jongin wanted to spend a quiet day engrossed in a book. He was in the café when Jongin was getting his fix of latte. And he was also at the beach when Jongin was taking a stroll.  
  
At the library, the stranger took a book from a shelf but didn’t read it. He just put it on a table, placed a pen on top of it, then left. In the café, he ordered an iced Americano and a slice of cheesecake but once again did not touch any of it. He just spent a few minutes sitting in silence before hanging a scarf on the back of his seat then leaving.  
  
At first, Jongin just wanted to figure out why the stranger was doing what he did. Jongin noticed that every time he saw him, the stranger’s face was devoid of any emotion, his expression betraying absolutely nothing. It intrigued him. But his curiosity turned into something more after seeing the stranger that one day at the beach.  
  
While he was walking along the shore, Jongin spotted the stranger near the rocky area on the far end of the coast. He watched as the man swung his arm back as if to throw something but stopped midway. The stranger’s normally stoic face then crumpled in anguish and he clutched whatever he was holding to his chest as he broke down crying.  
  
Even from a distance, Jongin could see how much pain the stranger was in and for some inexplicable reason, he wanted to rush over to console him.  
  
The feeling was foreign to Jongin. He had closed himself off for almost four centuries that it both surprised and scared him that a mere stranger could stir something in him; that someone he knew nothing about and had never even had a conversation with could evoke emotions he thought he had long buried.  
  
When the man left, something compelled Jongin to look for what he left behind. It took a few minutes of searching before he was able to locate a ring—a thin gold band engraved with the initials _S_ and _B_ on the inside. He stared at it for a few seconds before burying it where he found it.  
  
After that time, Jongin never saw the stranger again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It had been five years since Jongin began living in this coastal town. He liked how quiet and peaceful it was but most of all, he loved that the beach was just a twenty-minute bus ride away. It had become sort of a routine for him to take a walk and watch the sunset at least once a week.  
  
Right now, Jongin was on the bus again on his way to the beach. He sat patiently as the driver waited for a few more passengers to get on. Jongin doubted any more would come. Including him, there were already eight people on the bus and in a small town like this, that was already the maximum number on a normal day.  
  
But much to his surprise, one more passenger did get on. The man sat on the opposite side, two rows in front of where Jongin was.  
  
Jongin didn’t pay much attention to him at first until he caught a glimpse of the passenger’s face reflected on the window.  
  
It was the stranger from five years ago.  
  
Jongin’s heart skipped a beat at the realization. He had never forgotten the stranger all these years despite knowing nothing about him. After that day Jongin saw him in tears, the urge to figure out the reason behind his puzzling actions was replaced with a desire to know more about him, to know _who_ he was. It was peculiar since Jongin usually did the opposite but there was just something about the stranger that pulled him in. Sadly, he disappeared before Jongin could.  
  
But by some odd twist of fate, his stranger was back. The problem was that Jongin did not know how to approach him or if he even should. It would be pretty creepy of him to just go up to the guy and strike a conversation all of a sudden. Besides, it had been centuries since Jongin last said more than five words to someone else. He was certain he'd make a complete fool of himself if he attempted to talk to him.  
  
While Jongin was debating with himself, the bus had arrived at his stop.  
  
With a disappointed sigh, he stood up to get off. To his surprise, however, the stranger did too.  
  
Maybe he was going to the beach as well.  
  
Jongin let the stranger walk ahead of him, making sure to stay several steps behind. It was not that he was following him; they were just going in the same direction.  
  
When they got to the shore, the stranger removed his shoes and ambled closer to the water. He sat down, brought out two cans of beer from his bag, and then took a long swig.  
  
“Hey, sorry it took me this long to come back here,” the stranger said after finishing one can, his voice deep and beautiful but tinged with pain. “Remember when you took me out on a date at this beach?”  
  
Jongin almost answered until he realized the stranger wasn’t talking to him.  
  
“We grilled seafood, attempted to make _dalgona_ coffee...” he trailed off.  
  
Jongin heard a sniffle and then a sob.  
  
And there it was again—that pang in his chest that made him want to hug the stranger and whisper words of comfort in his ear.  
  
“You even decorated the back of your car for me. And when you saw how much I loved it, you said we’d come back here every year and do the same thing.” He clenched a fistful of sand and threw it angrily in front of him. “You liar!” he shouted.  
  
Jongin watched from behind as the stranger hastily wiped the tears rolling down his cheeks with the back of his hand.  
  
“It’s been several years but the pain is still the same. I thought that leaving parts of our memories in the places where we made them would help me let go and move on… But it didn’t. It just made it harder,” the stranger sobbed. “You promised we’d grow old together so why did you leave me?”  
  
The stranger stood up hastily and would have stumbled face first into the sand if not for Jongin.  
  
When he saw that the man was about to fall, Jongin acted on instinct and rushed over to wrap an arm securely around his waist. But as soon as Jongin realized what he did, he cringed inwardly. The stranger was probably thinking he was a creep for popping up out of nowhere.  
  
Jongin glanced down hesitantly just as the stranger turned his head to the side to look at him. It was the first time Jongin had seen his face up close and _wow_. With his cheeks flushed pink and teardrops clinging to his eyelashes, he looked absolutely ethereal.  
  
“H-how?” the stranger asked.  
  
“I was taking a walk and happened to see you fall so I helped,” Jongin lied, releasing his hold on the stranger. He was there, all right; he had been for several minutes already.  
  
“Oh, well thanks,” the stranger murmured, seemingly unconvinced.  
  
“It was nothing.” A few minutes of awkward silence passed before Jongin spoke again. “Right. So I’m just going to continue my walk.”  
  
He started to move away when the stranger reached a hand out and grabbed his arm.  
  
“S-sorry… Would you like to join me?”  
  
Jongin raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
The stranger’s face turned redder and he gestured towards his bag filled with beer and junk food. “As thanks for saving me.”  
  
Jongin just plopped down wordlessly and took the drink that was offered to him.  
  
The two of them sat side by side, helping themselves to the alcohol and snacks as they enjoyed the tranquil sound of the waves hitting the shore. After a short while, the stranger started talking. He told Jongin about how he was an orphan that never had the chance to be adopted.  
  
As the stranger kept sharing his story, Jongin learned that the other had a difficult life. He knew that orphans were discriminated against in the society they lived in but he was not aware of what exactly they faced. According to the stranger, people treated him differently once they found out he was an orphan. Finishing his education and finding a job were also arduous. Majority of employers did not hire him after he was unable to present a family registry. Family, after all, was important. They judged your character based on who your parents were and what they did. His life was just one hardship after another, the stranger said. It was only when he met his fiancé that he felt that things were looking up for him. But his happiness didn’t last long. Apparently, his betrothed had passed away in a car accident several years ago.  
  
Jongin felt his heart twist in pain once the stranger finished talking. He wished he could offer some sort of solace for him but after having shut himself off for hundreds of years, he no longer knew how to do so.  
  
“Hey,” the stranger said, breaking Jongin out of his thoughts. “I’ve been unloading my life story on you for the past hour yet I don’t even know your name.”  
  
“Jongin,” he responded curtly.  
  
The stranger hummed. “My name is Sehun. Thank you for listening to me, Jongin.”  
  
And for the first time since Jongin saw Sehun all those years ago, he saw a smile on the other’s face.  


**Author's Note:**

>   
>  1) sorry for the lack of romance. i had lots of plans for this fic but i wasn't able to write during the holidays and i got sick last week. i was only able to finish this because the mods gave me an extension. thank you, mods 💖  
>   
> 2) B stands for bohyun... if that wasn't already obvious  
>   
> 3) i once read an article about how “family is everything” in korea. they judge you based on who your ancestors were (their occupation, their police record/criminal history, etc) and because of it, abandoned children have it tough. and idk if it’s still true today but apparently, domestic adoption in south korea is taboo. the couples that do adopt often hide it because taking someone else's child (someone you have no blood ties with) into your family is frowned upon  
> 


End file.
